THE CALL

US, 2020, 97 minutes, Colour.

Lin Shaye, Tobin Bell, Chester Rushing, Erin Sanders, Mike Manning, Sloane Morgan Siegel.

Directed by Timothy Woodward Jr.

Lin Shaye and Tobin Bell have proven themselves as icons of American horror films, Lin Shaye in so many including the Insidious series, Tobin Bell so well-known as Jigsaw in the Saw series.

They play an elderly couple, she being tormented by a group of teenagers who consider her a witch. They come out to defy her and she confronts them. However, she kills herself, with a will stipulating that there be a phone in her coffin.

The first part of the film is very familiar from teenage school films, brash and bragging teenagers, not particularly interesting or sympathetic, a lot of trite goings-on.

However, they are summoned by the woman’s husband, the promise of money if they fulfil conditions in a will, make a call, simply, to the phone in her coffin. This leads to some flashbacks, the young people going back into that past, the harsh past, being trapped in their past. However, the latest visitor to the town gets a chance for some kind of repentance and new life.

A lot of the blogging comments are quite unfavourable – older fans of horror stories and of the two stars may well find it interesting variation on themes after they get over all the familiar stuff of teen life.

1. Horror story? Moralising story?
2. 1987, the atmosphere of the period, schools, teenagers, attitudes, brash? Tormenting Edith Cranston? The consequences?
3. School, the town, introduction to the characters? The familiar material and attitudes of teenagers? Trite characterisations?
4. Chris, the mystery about his past, relationship with his mother, her lover, her wanting to call him dad? At school, the encounter with Tonya, friendship, introduction to Zach and Brett? Hanging out with them? The fair, the competitions, the sideshows, fortuneteller?
5. Going out to torment Edith Cranston, Tonya and the memories of her dead sister? Edith coming out, confronting them? Defying them? Consolation from her husband? His absence, hanging herself?
6. Edward Cranston, loving his wife, summoning the teenagers, challenge, the will, the promise of money, the phone in the coffin? Greed, debating, decision? Going in order? Staying on the phone for a minute, leaving by the back door?
7. The eerie atmosphere, the visuals of the house, the corridors, the room? Veering into fantasies of the past, the settings, surreal?
8. Zach, brash, older brother, the call, Edith, his fantasy, memories of his brutal father, with his brother, cowering, the taunts of his father? The final punishment?
9. Brett, following his brother, bragging? Going back into his past, getting out? Trapped?
10. Chris, more straightforward, the revelation about his past, his relationship with his girlfriend, pregnancy, his abandoning her? Her appearance? His repentance?
11. Tonya, the flashback to the story of the death of her sister, with Chris, the possibility of his saving her, the reappearance of his girlfriend?
12. A ghost story, a horror story, vengeance story, punishment and redemption story?